


I Want You to Stay

by musikurt



Category: Bates Motel (2013)
Genre: Banter, Father-Son Relationship, Implied/Referenced Incest, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-28
Updated: 2015-08-28
Packaged: 2018-04-17 17:00:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4674452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musikurt/pseuds/musikurt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Caleb is still surprised that Dylan is allowing him to stay, all things considered. But maybe there were some considerations that neither had realized when that decision was made...</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Want You to Stay

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SegaBarrett](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SegaBarrett/gifts).



Caleb stared at Dylan, who was sitting across from him at the table. Three hours had passed since Dylan told him he could stay, and Caleb still had some trouble believing it. He had already prepared himself to pack his bags and hit the road.

"Something wrong?" Dylan asked, nodding at the plate of spaghetti that Caleb had barely touched.

Caleb studied Dylan's face before responding. "Are you really sure?"

"Am I sure about what?"

"This," Caleb answered. "Me staying here."

"I wouldn't have made the offer if I wasn't sure. You need to stop worrying."

Caleb leaned back in his chair. "What about your mo--" he caught himself "--Norma?"

"I'll take care of Norma. I understand her position, but she needs to understand mine. And yours."

"I appreciate that," Caleb said with a nod. "And sorry to keep doubting you on this. It's just that I also understand where she's coming from in not wanting me around. And you've no obligation to me. It's not like I've actually been around, been in your li--"

"Please don't apologize. I've heard enough apologies from you about everything. And they don't change anything." Dylan stood and carried his empty plate to the sink. "All we have is our current circumstances, so let's just work from there."

Caleb chuckled and shook his head.

"What?" Dylan returned to the table and resumed his seat.

"I'm just amazed by the maturity you show for your age."

"Well, I haven't always been the responsible one. I'm sure Norma would have no problem listing every mistake I've made in recent years."

"We all make mistakes, you know. I'm a prime example." Caleb took his own half-empty plate to the kitchen and set it next to the sink.

"Please don't tell me you're going to try to say I get that from you. Because I'm pretty sure there are enough other circumstances in my life to blame."

"Who says you should be worried about blame? You said yourself that we shouldn't focus on the mistakes of the past. All we can do is try to set things right as we go forward."

Dylan let a half-smile form on his face. "And that's why you're here, right? To try to make things right?"

Caleb shook his head. "I can't make things right. The things I did, past or not, can't be undone or 'fixed.' But I can choose to ignore the consequences or I can face them. And I've finally chosen to do the latter."

"But Norma doesn't want you here."

"I'm not here for Norma. I mean, I thought I was at first. I hoped she would at least talk to me, maybe at some point possibly be willing to forgive me. But she won't. She's always been someone who doesn't change her mind once she's set on something. And I can't really blame her. Even if we were just kids, really, and we didn't know what we were doing."

"So why are you still here, then?"

Caleb hesitated for a moment. "For you. To get to know you better."

"I see." Dylan was quiet for a few seconds and then he stood. "I think I'm going to go take a shower." He left the room and headed down the hallway toward the bathroom.

Caleb let out a long sigh. He knew he shouldn't have said anything. He shouldn't have come across so pushy. Of course he would like to get to know Dylan better. After all, Norma claimed Dylan was his son, and he could believe that. He had no reason not to do so. But he could understand why Dylan was a bit skeptical, why he wouldn't rush to let Caleb into his life at anything closer than arm's length.

A noise by the sofa startled Caleb from his thoughts. He looked up to see Dylan, wearing only a towel around his waist, rifling through one of his jacket pockets. He couldn't explain it in that moment, but there was something mesmerizing about the sight before him, and he didn't realize he was staring until he heard Dylan clear his throat.

"Like what you see?"

"Wha-- I--" Caleb took a moment to find words. "Sorry, just continuing to be amazed at how much you do look like me when I was your age."

"Right, so that explains why you've been--and still are--staring at the towel. Curious about what's underneath?"

There was a playfulness in Dylan's voice that eased some of the tension Caleb had been feeling since Dylan had reentered the room. "Maybe I'm curious about just how far the resemblance goes."

Dylan shook his head and laughed. "You're too much." He turned and started down the hallway. "You can stop staring at my ass," he called out over his shoulder.

"You should consider yourself lucky," Caleb yelled after him. He was glad that whatever awkwardness had existed before Dylan left the table seemed to have faded. Banter was always a good thing between people who were trying to get to know each other, he thought, even though he wasn't particularly good at it himself. Of course, he also couldn't get the vision of Dylan's bare chest out of his mind, but he figured he would explore that later. It was best to take these things one at a time.

But Dylan didn't give him time as he suddenly reappeared in the doorway to the hall. "I had a question."

"I thought you were going to take a shower," Caleb shot back as he stood from the table and started toward Dylan. "You're not exactly following through there."

"Well, I just wanted to know--" he flashed Caleb a mischievous grin "--are you into guys or is it just family members?"

Caleb frowned. "That's not very--"

Dylan put up a hand to stop him. "Hey, I didn't mean to offend. I just wanted to know what would be the motivation to your answer to my next question." Dylan raised his eyebrows twice and winked.

Caleb realized he was staring again, and decided to just give up on trying to fight it. "And what would that question be?"

Dylan shrugged. "Care to join me in the shower?"

Caleb nearly fell over. "I don't--"

"Figure if we're going to be staying together, we can at least help each other out." Dylan paused for a moment before turning once again toward the bathroom. "Anyway, the offer stands."

Caleb stood there frozen, not sure how to process what had just happened. He should know better than to go down another path that could lead to the problems that have plagued him for years. He knew this wasn't how things should be. But at the same time, the past few minutes were among the only times he'd seen Dylan really smile since he'd arrived. And it wasn't like Dylan to laugh and joke--nor was it like Caleb--so there was a chance this could be good. Yes, this could be really good for them both.

"Don't get started without me!" Caleb yelled as he rushed down the hallway, shedding his t-shirt along the way.


End file.
